Cassini captures photo of crescent moon over Saturn's rings

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Cassini captures photo of crescent moon over Saturn's rings





Saturn moon Enceladus
 





Saturn moon Enceladus seen as a crescent over Saturn's rings in this photo shot by Cassini on July 29, 2015 and released by NASA on Nov. 30.
 (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)


Richard TribouBy Richard Tribou•Contact Reporter
Orlando Sentinel

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Saturn's moon Enceladus is seen over Saturn's rings in this cool Cassini photo

December 4, 2015, 10:13 AM



There's some seriously cool photography happening millions of miles away from Earth.

The space probe Cassini sent back an image in July of Saturn's moon Enceladus, viewable as a crescent with the planet's signature rings in the foreground.


The sixth planet from the sun is 746 million miles away, but the sun's effects on the planet's satellite moon still make from some engaging photography.

Cassini also captured Saturn moon Tethys over the planet's rings just a few weeks ago in a shot taken Nov. 23.
 



 
 
Saturn moon Tethys
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This image taken by Cassini on Nov. 23, 2015 shows a the planet's moon Tethys above Saturn's rings.
 (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)




Cassini was launched in in 1997 from Cape Canaveral on a Titan IV rocket. There was a significant amount of controversy around the launch of the probe, which is powered by plutonium. There was concern over the radioactive power source in the event of an explosion of the rocket over Central Florida.

Enceladus and Tethys are two of Saturn's 62 known moons, some of which have yet to be named. Its largest moon, Titan, is larger than both Mercury and Pluto.

Cassini arrived to orbit Saturn in 2004 and continues to study its many satellites. It's the fourth probe to visit the planet.


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